eMotorWerks and Platte River Power Authority Partner on Colorado’s First Smart Electric Vehicle Charging Study

• The study, which is open to EV drivers in Estes Park, Fort Collins, Loveland and Longmont in northern Colorado, investigates EV charging patterns to develop future smart charging services at scale.

•Participants in the study will receive a $200 instant rebate upon purchase of the JuiceBox smart charging station from Platte River, and the first 100 participants will receive an additional manufacturer discount from eMotorWerks.

•With an initial target of 250 participating EVs, eMotorWerks and Platte River are deploying a demand response-enabled system in the service territory with the aim to reduce electricity costs and boost renewables penetration.

San Carlos, CA — February 4th, 2019 -- eMotorWerks, a subsidiary of the Enel Group’s new advanced energy services business line Enel X, announced it will be supporting Platte River Power Authority (Platte River), a not-for-profit wholesale electricity generation and transmission provider in Colorado, with the electricity provider’s first electric vehicle (EV) distributed charging study by supplying its smart charging equipment and technology. The study will explore flexible charging services in support of Platte River’s broader energy diversification goals in the electricity and transportation sectors.

Platte River’s study will be the first large-scale residential smart EV charging initiative in Colorado, serving communities in the municipalities of Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland. Participating EV drivers can schedule preferred charging periods taking into consideration the most cost-effective times of use and monitor charging remotely via eMotorwerks’ JuiceNet app. Powered by JuiceNet, the leading smart EV charging software platform, eMotorWerks’ JuiceBox charging station will be available for purchase via Platte River’s EfficiencyWorks store with a $200 instant rebate provided by Platte River, and the first 100 JuiceBox participants will receive an additional instant manufacturer discount. With JuiceNet, users may program EV charging times, which can benefit utility customers on time-of-day rates and can also save drivers and their utility money and precious electricity resources by delaying charging to non-peak times of use.

"As demand for renewable energy grows significantly to power EVs, valuing and procuring EV flexibility services in the form of smart charging is critically important within the process of decarbonizing the electricity and transportation sectors economically” said Preston Roper, General Manager, North America, Enel X e-Mobility. “We are looking forward to helping more Colorado communities go electric with the state’s first smart EV charging program."

With an initial target of 250 participating EVs, eMotorWerks and Platte River are deploying a demand response-enabled system in the service territory, which could reduce electricity costs and boost renewable penetration. As an industry leader in networked EV supply equipment (EVSE) and vehicle-grid integration, eMotorWerks has proven smart charging capabilities at scale in California and beyond, where it manages over 10,000 EV smart charging stations via JuiceNet that collectively act as a virtual battery for the grid. JuiceNet can delay or reduce charging schedules across that portfolio of EV charging, based on signals from utilities or grid operators, while prioritizing individual driver mobility requirements and preferences, as well as compensating drivers for their flexibility.

Currently, eMotorWerks is the only EV charging provider to participate in wholesale day-ahead and real-time markets, dynamically managing charging loads to balance grid demand, reduce wholesale energy procurement costs and mitigate the intermittency of renewables. By delivering smart EV charging services to electricity grids, environmental and social benefits arising from sustainable mobility can be achieved and magnified as EV adoption grows. Furthermore, smart charging enables drivers to conveniently charge during non-peak periods, if available from the local electric utility. According to a recent report from the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, smart EV charging can exert downward pressure on electricity rates over time by achieving higher and more even utilization of existing grids, avoiding costly investments in new grid infrastructure. More efficient use of power infrastructure can enable greater savings for all relevant parties involved — from EV drivers to utilities.